Entering contacts in a communication message on a mobile device

ABSTRACT

Embodiments described herein provide a user with the ability to enter and validate contact addresses when composing a message on a mobile device. The user may access at least one of a local contact address data store and a remote contact address data store when entering and validating contact addresses.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/637,766 filed on Dec. 22, 2004.

FIELD

The embodiments described herein relate to message communication for awireless communication device.

BACKGROUND

When a user composes a message, such as an e-mail message, for example,on a wireless communication device, the user composes the body of themessage and may attach one or more relevant attachment documents. Theuser then enters header information, which includes entering informationinto the subject field and adding one or more recipient e-mail addressesin one of the “TO”, “CC” or “BCC” address fields. In some wirelesscommunication devices, these address fields are structured as free-formfields in which the user can enter any string of characters. The userthen sends the message to the one or more recipients. Recipients willhereafter be referred to as contacts and recipient addresses willhereafter be referred to as contact addresses.

In certain message applications, the user may be prompted to enter ane-mail address by selecting the contact address from the device's localaddress book. If the desired contact address is not in the local addressbook, the user typically manually enters the contact address as aone-time entry. However, there is no provision for allowing the user toselect a contact address that is not in the local address book, nor isthere a way to check if a manually entered contact address is a validaddress. For example, in some message applications, one may enter anystring of characters as a contact address, such as the string “XXYYZZ”,and the message application will consider this to be an acceptablecontact address. The message application can then provide a confirmationbox asking the user to confirm that the message is to be sent, but thesemessage applications do not provide a validity check to ensure that eachcontact address is correct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the embodiments described herein and toshow more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will nowbe made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings which showat least one exemplary embodiment in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mobilecommunication device;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication subsystem component of themobile communication device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a node of awireless network that the mobile communication device of FIG. 1 maycommunicate with;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a host systemthat the mobile communication device of FIG. 1 may communicate with;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a message validationwindow for validating contact addresses in a message; and,

FIG. 6 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of acontact entry method for entering and validating contact addresses in amessage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated amongthe figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps. Inaddition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, itwill be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that theembodiments described herein may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures andcomponents have not been described in detail so as not to obscure theembodiments described herein. Furthermore, this description is not to beconsidered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein,but rather as merely describing the implementation of the variousembodiments described herein.

The embodiments described herein generally relate to contact addressvalidation for a message. To facilitate an understanding of theembodiments provided herein, the embodiments will be described in termsof contact address validation for e-mail messages on a mobile wirelesscommunication device, hereafter referred to as a mobile device, that cansend and receive wireless messages. Examples of applicable communicationdevices include pagers, cellular phones, cellular smart-phones, wirelessorganizers, personal digital assistants, computers, laptops, handheldwireless communication devices, wirelessly enabled notebook computersand the like.

The mobile device is a two-way communication device with advanced datacommunication capabilities including the capability to communicate withother mobile devices or computer systems through a network oftransceiver stations. The mobile device may also have the capability toallow voice communication. Depending on the functionality provided bythe mobile device, it may be referred to as a data messaging device, atwo-way pager, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, awireless Internet appliance, or a data communication device (with orwithout telephony capabilities). To aid the reader in understanding thestructure of the mobile device and how it communicates with otherdevices and host systems, reference will now be made to FIGS. 1 through4.

Referring first to FIG. 1, shown therein is a block diagram of a mobiledevice 100 in one exemplary implementation. The mobile device 100comprises a number of components, the controlling component being a mainprocessor 102 that controls the overall operation of the mobile device100. Communication functions, including data and voice communications,are performed through a communication subsystem 104. The communicationsubsystem 104 receives messages from and sends messages to a wirelessnetwork 200. In this exemplary implementation of the mobile device 100,the communication subsystem 104 is configured in accordance with theGlobal System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and General Packet RadioServices (GPRS) standards. The GSM/GPRS wireless network is usedworldwide and it is expected that these standards will be supersededeventually by Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) and Universal MobileTelecommunications Service (UMTS). New standards are still beingdefined, but it is believed that they will have similarities to thenetwork behaviour described herein, and it will also be understood bypersons skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein areintended to use any other suitable standards that are developed in thefuture. The wireless link connecting the communication subsystem 104with the wireless network 200 represents one or more different RadioFrequency (RF) channels, operating according to defined protocolsspecified for GSM/GPRS communications. With newer network protocols,these channels are capable of supporting both circuit switched voicecommunications and packet switched data communications.

Although the wireless network 200 associated with the mobile device 100is a GSM/GPRS wireless network in one exemplary implementation, otherwireless networks may also be associated with the mobile device 100 invariant implementations. The different types of wireless networks thatmay be employed include, for example, data-centric wireless networks,voice-centric wireless networks, and dual-mode networks that can supportboth voice and data communications over the same physical base stations.Combined dual-mode networks include, but are not limited to, CodeDivision Multiple Access (CDMA) or CDMA2000 networks, GSM/GPRS networks(as mentioned above), and future third-generation (3G) networks likeEDGE and UMTS. Some other examples of data-centric networks include WiFi802.11, Mobitex™ and DataTAC™ network communication systems. Examples ofother voice-centric data networks include Personal Communication Systems(PCS) networks like GSM and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)systems.

The main processor 102 also interacts with additional subsystems such asa Random Access Memory (RAM) 106, a flash memory 108, a display 110, anauxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 112, a data port 114, a keyboard116, a speaker 118, a microphone 120, short-range communications 122 andother device subsystems 124.

Some of the subsystems of the mobile device 100 performcommunication-related functions, whereas other subsystems may provide“resident” or on-device functions. By way of example, the display 110and the keyboard 116 may be used for both communication-relatedfunctions, such as entering a text message for transmission over thewireless network 200, and device-resident functions such as a calculatoror task list. Operating system software used by the main processor 102is typically stored in a persistent store such as the flash memory 108,which may alternatively be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar storageelement (not shown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that theoperating system, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may betemporarily loaded into a volatile store such as the RAM 106.

The mobile device 100 may send and receive communication signals overthe wireless network 200 after required network registration oractivation procedures have been completed. Network access is associatedwith a subscriber or user of the mobile device 100. To identify asubscriber, the mobile device 100 requires a SIM/RUIM card 126 (i.e.Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable User Identity Module) to beinserted into a SIM/RUIM interface 128 in order to communicate with anetwork. The SIM card or RUIM 126 is one type of a conventional “smartcard” that can be used to identify a subscriber of the mobile device 100and to personalize the mobile device 100, among other things. Withoutthe SIM card 126, the mobile device 100 is not fully operational forcommunication with the wireless network 200. By inserting the SIMcard/RUIM 126 into the SIM/RUIM interface 128, a subscriber can accessall subscribed services. Services may include: web browsing andmessaging such as e-mail, voice mail, Short Message Service (SMS), andMultimedia Messaging Services (MMS). More advanced services may include:point of sale, field service and sales force automation. The SIMcard/RUIM 126 includes a processor and memory for storing information.Once the SIM card/RUIM 126 is inserted into the SIM/RUIM interface 128,it is coupled to the main processor 102. In order to identify thesubscriber, the SIM card/RUIM 126 contains some user parameters such asan International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). An advantage ofusing the SIM card/RUIM 126 is that a subscriber is not necessarilybound by any single physical mobile device. The SIM card/RUIM 126 maystore additional subscriber information for a mobile device as well,including datebook (or calendar) information and recent callinformation. Alternatively, user identification information can also beprogrammed into the flash memory 108.

The mobile device 100 is a battery-powered device and includes a batteryinterface 132 for receiving one or more rechargeable batteries 130. Insome embodiments, the battery 130 may be a smart battery with anembedded microprocessor. The battery interface 132 is coupled to aregulator (not shown), which assists the battery 130 in providing powerV+ to the mobile device 100. Although current technology makes use of abattery, future technologies such as micro fuel cells may provide thepower to the mobile device 100.

The main processor 102, in addition to its operating system functions,enables execution of software applications 134 on the mobile device 100.The subset of software applications 134 that control basic deviceoperations, including data and voice communication applications, willnormally be installed on the mobile device 100 during its manufacture.

The software applications 134 include a message application 136. Themessage application 136 can be any suitable software program that allowsa user of the mobile device 100 to send and receive messages. Variousalternatives exist for the message application 136 as is well known tothose skilled in the art. Messages that have been sent or received bythe user are typically stored in the flash memory 108 of the mobiledevice 100 or some other suitable storage element in the mobile device100. In an alternative embodiment, some of the sent and receivedmessages may be stored remotely from the mobile device 100 such as in adata store of an associated host system that the mobile device 100communicates with.

Another program that is executed by the mobile device 100 is a contactlookup module 138 that operates in combination with the messageapplication 136 for aiding with entry and validation of one or morecontact addresses in a message before the message is transmitted by themobile device 100. Aiding with contact address entry includes providingthe user with the ability to lookup a contact address. Validationincludes checking the accuracy of a contact address that has beenentered by the user while composing the message. Validation can furtherinclude correcting an inaccurate contact address.

The contact lookup module 138 aids with entry of a contact address byallowing the user of the mobile device 100 to look up a contact addressby checking at least one of a local contact address data store and aremote contact address data store. The contact lookup module 138 canvalidate an entered contact address by checking with the local contactaddress store. In some embodiments, the contact lookup module 138 canperform validation of an entered contact address by checking with theuser. In some embodiments, the contact lookup module 138 can performvalidation of an entered contact address by checking with a remotecontact address data store.

The mobile device 100 further includes a device state module 140, anaddress book 142, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) 144, and othermodules 146. The device state module 140 provides persistence, i.e. thedevice state module 140 ensures that important device data is stored inpersistent memory, such as the flash memory 108, so that the data is notlost when the mobile device 100 is turned off or loses power. The othermodules 146 may include a configuration module (not shown) as well asother modules that can be used in conjunction with the SIM/RUIMinterface 128.

The address book 142 provides information for a list of contacts for theuser. For a given contact in the address book, the information caninclude the name, phone number, work address and e-mail address of thecontact (i.e. contact address), among other information. The addressbook 142 provides an example of a local data store of contact addressesthat can be used by the user of the mobile device 100 when composing ane-mail message as well as the contact lookup module 138 during contactaddress entry or validation.

The PIM 144 has functionality for organizing and managing data items ofinterest to a subscriber, such as, but not limited to, e-mail, calendarevents, voice mails, appointments, and task items. A PIM application hasthe ability to send and receive data items via the wireless network 200.PIM data items may be seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updatedvia the wireless network 200 with the mobile device subscriber'scorresponding data items stored and/or associated with a host computersystem. This functionality creates a mirrored host computer on themobile device 100 with respect to such items. This can be particularlyadvantageous when the host computer system is the mobile devicesubscriber's office computer system.

Additional applications may also be loaded onto the mobile device 100through at least one of the wireless network 200, the auxiliary I/Osubsystem 112, the data port 114, the short-range communicationssubsystem 122, or any other suitable device subsystem 124. Thisflexibility in application installation increases the functionality ofthe mobile device 100 and may provide enhanced on-device functions,communication-related functions, or both. For example, securecommunication applications may enable electronic commerce functions andother such financial transactions to be performed using the mobiledevice 100.

The data port 114 enables a subscriber to set preferences through anexternal device or software application and extends the capabilities ofthe mobile device 100 by providing for information or software downloadsto the mobile device 100 other than through a wireless communicationnetwork. The alternate download path may, for example, be used to loadan encryption key onto the mobile device 100 through a direct and thusreliable and trusted connection to provide secure device communication.

The data port 114 can be any suitable port that enables datacommunication between the mobile device 100 and another computingdevice. The data port can be a serial or a parallel port. In someinstances, the data port 114 can be a USB port that includes data linesfor data transfer and a supply line that can provide a charging currentto charge the battery 130 of the mobile device 100.

The short-range communications subsystem 122 provides for communicationbetween the mobile device 100 and different systems or devices, withoutthe use of the wireless network 200. For example, the subsystem 122 mayinclude an infrared device and associated circuits and components forshort-range communication. Examples of short-range communicationstandards include standards developed by the Infrared Data Association(IrDA), Bluetooth, and the 802.11 family of standards developed by IEEE.

In use, a received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message, orweb page download will be processed by the communication subsystem 104and input to the main processor 102. The main processor 102 will thenprocess the received signal for output to the display 110 oralternatively to the auxiliary I/O subsystem 112. A subscriber may alsocompose data items, such as e-mail messages, for example, using thekeyboard 116 in conjunction with the display 110 and possibly theauxiliary I/O subsystem 112. The auxiliary subsystem 112 can includedevices such as: a touch screen, mouse, track ball, infrared fingerprintdetector, or a roller wheel with dynamic button pressing capability. Thekeyboard 116 is preferably an alphanumeric keyboard and/ortelephone-type keypad. However, other types of keyboards may also beused. A composed item may be transmitted over the wireless network 200through the communication subsystem 104.

For voice communications, the overall operation of the mobile device 100is substantially similar, except that the received signals are output tothe speaker 118, and signals for transmission are generated by themicrophone 120. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as avoice message recording subsystem, can also be implemented on the mobiledevice 100. Although voice or audio signal output is accomplishedprimarily through the speaker 118, the display 110 can also be used toprovide additional information such as the identity of a calling party,duration of a voice call, or other voice call related information.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of the communication subsystemcomponent 104 of FIG. 1 is shown. The communication subsystem 104comprises a receiver 150 and a transmitter 152, as well as associatedcomponents such as one or more embedded or internal antenna elements154, 156, Local Oscillators (LOs) 158, and a processing module such as aDigital Signal Processor (DSP) 160. As will be apparent to those skilledin the field of communications, the particular design of thecommunication subsystem 104 is dependent upon the communication networkwith which the mobile device 100 is intended to operate. Thus, it shouldbe understood that the design illustrated in FIG. 2 serves only as oneexample.

Signals received by the antenna 154 through the wireless network 200 areinput to the receiver 150. The receiver 150 can perform such commonreceiver functions as signal amplification, frequency down conversion,filtering, channel selection, and analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion.A/D conversion of a received signal allows more complex communicationfunctions such as demodulation and decoding to be performed by the DSP160. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted are processed,including modulation and encoding, by the DSP 160. These DSP-processedsignals are input to the transmitter 152 for digital-to-analog (D/A)conversion, frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification andtransmission over the wireless network 200 via the antenna 156. The DSP160 not only processes communication signals, but also provides forreceiver and transmitter control. For example, the gains applied tocommunication signals in the receiver 150 and transmitter 152 can beadaptively controlled through automatic gain control algorithmsimplemented in the DSP 160.

The wireless link between the mobile device 100 and the wireless network200 can contain one or more different channels, typically different RFchannels, and associated protocols used between the mobile device 100and the wireless network 200. An RF channel is a limited resource thatmust be conserved, typically due to limits in overall bandwidth andlimited battery power of the mobile device 100. Accordingly, when themobile device 100 is fully operational, the transmitter 152 is typicallykeyed or turned on only when it is transmitting to the wireless network200 and is otherwise turned off to conserve resources. Similarly, thereceiver 150 is periodically turned off to conserve power until it isneeded to receive signals or information (if at all) during designatedtime periods.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an exemplary implementationof a node of the wireless network 200 is shown as 202. In practice, thewireless network 200 comprises one or more nodes 202. The mobile device100 communicates with the node 202. In the exemplary implementation ofFIG. 3, the node 202 is configured in accordance with General PacketRadio Service (GPRS) and Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) technologies.The node 202 includes a base station controller (BSC) 204 with anassociated tower station 206, a Packet Control Unit (PCU) 208 added forGPRS support in GSM, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 210, a HomeLocation Register (HLR) 212, a Visitor Location Registry (VLR) 214, aServing GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 216, a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)218, and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) 220. This list ofcomponents is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the components ofevery node 202 within a GSM/GPRS network, but rather a list ofcomponents that are commonly used in communications through the wirelessnetwork 200.

In a GSM network, the MSC 210 is coupled to the BSC 204 and to alandline network, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 222to satisfy circuit-switching requirements. The connection through PCU208, SGSN 216 and GGSN 218 to the public or private network (Internet)224 (also referred to herein generally as a shared networkinfrastructure) represents the data path for GPRS capable mobiledevices. In a GSM network extended with GPRS capabilities, the BSC 204also contains a Packet Control Unit (PCU) 208 that connects to the SGSN216 to control segmentation, radio channel allocation and to satisfypacket switched requirements. To track mobile device location andavailability for both circuit switched and packet switched management,the HLR 212 is shared between the MSC 210 and the SGSN 216. Access tothe VLR 214 is controlled by the MSC 210.

The station 206 is a fixed transceiver station. The station 206 and BSC204 together form the fixed transceiver equipment. The fixed transceiverequipment provides wireless network coverage for a particular coveragearea commonly referred to as a “cell”. The fixed transceiver equipmenttransmits communication signals to and receives communication signalsfrom mobile devices within its cell via the station 206. The fixedtransceiver equipment normally performs such functions as modulation andpossibly encoding and/or encryption of signals to be transmitted to themobile device 100 in accordance with particular, usually predetermined,communication protocols and parameters, under control of its controller.The fixed transceiver equipment similarly demodulates and possiblydecodes and decrypts, if necessary, any communication signals receivedfrom the mobile device 100 within its cell. The communication protocolsand parameters may vary between different nodes. For example, one nodemay employ a different modulation scheme and operate at differentfrequencies than other nodes.

For all mobile devices 100 registered with a specific network, permanentconfiguration data such as a user profile is stored in the HLR 212. TheHLR 212 also contains location information for each registered mobiledevice and can be queried to determine the current location of a mobiledevice. The MSC 210 is responsible for a group of location areas andstores the data of the mobile devices currently in its area ofresponsibility in the VLR 214. Further, the VLR 214 also containsinformation on mobile devices that are visiting other networks. Theinformation in the VLR 214 includes part of the permanent mobile devicedata transmitted from the HLR 212 to the VLR 214 for faster access. Bymoving additional information from a remote HLR node to the VLR 214, theamount of traffic between these nodes can be reduced so that voice anddata services can be provided with faster response times and at the sametime require less use of computing resources.

The SGSN 216 and GGSN 218 are elements added for GPRS support; namelypacket switched data support, within GSM. The SGSN 216 and MSC 210 havesimilar responsibilities within the wireless network 200 by keepingtrack of the location of each mobile device 100. The SGSN 216 alsoperforms security functions and access control for data traffic on thewireless network 200. The GGSN 218 provides internetworking connectionswith external packet switched networks and connects to one or moreSGSN's 216 via an Internet Protocol (IP) backbone network operatedwithin the wireless network 200. During normal operations, a givenmobile device 100 must perform a “GPRS Attach” to acquire an IP addressand to access data services. This requirement is not present in circuitswitched voice channels as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)addresses are used for routing incoming and outgoing calls. Currently,all GPRS capable networks use private, dynamically assigned IPaddresses, thus requiring the DHCP server 220 to be connected to theGGSN 218. There are many mechanisms for dynamic IP assignment, includingusing a combination of a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service(RADIUS) server and a DHCP server. Once the GPRS Attach is complete, alogical connection is established from the mobile device 100, throughthe PCU 208, and the SGSN 216 to an Access Point Node (APN) within theGGSN 218. The APN represents a logical end of an IP tunnel that caneither access direct Internet compatible services or private networkconnections. The APN also represents a security mechanism for thewireless network 200, insofar as each mobile device 100 must be assignedto one or more APNs and the mobile devices 100 cannot exchange datawithout first performing a GPRS Attach to an APN that it has beenauthorized to use. The APN may be considered to be similar to anInternet domain name such as “myconnection.wireless.com”.

Once the GPRS Attach is complete, a tunnel is created and all traffic isexchanged within standard IP packets using any protocol that can besupported in IP packets. This includes tunneling methods such as IP overIP as in the case with some IPSecurity (Ipsec) connections used withVirtual Private Networks (VPN). These tunnels are also referred to asPacket Data Protocol (PDP) contexts and there are a limited number ofthese available in the wireless network 200. To maximize use of the PDPContexts, the wireless network 200 will run an idle timer for each PDPContext to determine if there is a lack of activity. When the mobiledevice 100 is not using its PDP Context, the PDP Context can bede-allocated and the IP address returned to the IP address pool managedby the DHCP server 220.

Referring now to FIG. 4, shown therein is a block diagram illustratingcomponents of an exemplary configuration of a host system 250. In oneinstance, the host system 250 can be a corporate enterprise. The hostsystem 250 will typically be a corporate office or other local areanetwork (LAN), but may also be a home office computer system or someother private system, for example, in variant implementations. In theexample shown in FIG. 4, the host system 250 is depicted as a LAN of anorganization to which a user of the mobile device 100 belongs.Typically, a plurality of mobile devices can communicate wirelessly withthe host system 250 through one or more nodes 202 of the wirelessnetwork 200.

The host system 250 comprises a number of network components connectedto each other by network connections 260. For instance, a user's desktopcomputer 262 a with an accompanying cradle 264 for the user's mobiledevice 100 can be situated on a LAN connection. The cradle 264 for themobile device 100 can be coupled to the computer 262 a by a serial or aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) connection, for example. Other user computers262 b-262 n can also be situated on the network 260, and each may or maynot be equipped with an accompanying cradle 264 that is suitable for amobile device. The cradle 264 facilitates the loading of information(e.g. PIM data, private symmetric encryption keys to facilitate securecommunications between the mobile device 100 and the host system 250,etc.) from the user computer 262 a to the mobile device 100, and may beparticularly useful for bulk information updates often performed ininitializing the mobile device 100 for use. The information downloadedto the mobile device 100 may include certificates used in the exchangeof messages.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that the usercomputers 262 a-262 n will typically also be connected to otherperipheral devices, such as printers, etc. which are not explicitlyshown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, only a subset of network components of thehost system 250 are shown in FIG. 4 for ease of exposition, and it willbe understood by persons skilled in the art that the host system 250will comprise additional components that are not explicitly shown inFIG. 4 for this exemplary configuration. More generally, the host system250 may represent a smaller part of a larger network (not shown) of theorganization, and can include different components and/or be arranged indifferent topologies than that shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG.4.

To facilitate the wireless communication of messages and message-relateddata between the mobile device 100 and components of the host system250, a number of wireless communication support components 270 may beprovided. In some implementations, the wireless communication supportcomponents 270 can include a message management server 272, a mobiledata server 274, a contact server 276, a global address list data store278, and the like.

In this exemplary embodiment, the mobile device 100 communicates withthe host system 250 through node 202 of the wireless network 200 and ashared network infrastructure 224 such as a service provider network orthe public Internet. Access to the host system 250 may be providedthrough one or more routers (not shown), and computing devices of thehost system 250 may operate from behind a firewall or proxy server 266.The proxy server 266 provides a secure node and a wireless internetgateway for the host system 250. The proxy server 266 intelligentlyroutes data to the correct destination server within the host system250.

In some implementations, the host system 250 can include a wireless VPNrouter (not shown) to facilitate data exchange between the host system250 and the mobile device 100. The wireless VPN router allows a VPNconnection to be established directly through a specific wirelessnetwork to the mobile device 100. The wireless VPN router can be usedwith the Internet Protocol (IP) Version 6 (IPV6) and IP-based wirelessnetworks. This protocol can provide enough IP addresses so that eachmobile device has a dedicated IP address, making it possible to pushinformation to a mobile device at any time. An advantage of using awireless VPN router is that it can be an off-the-shelf VPN component,and does not require a separate wireless gateway and separate wirelessinfrastructure. A VPN connection can preferably be a TransmissionControl Protocol (TCP)/IP or User Datagram Protocol (UDP)/IP connectionfor delivering the messages directly to the mobile device 100 in thisalternative implementation.

Messages intended for a user of the mobile device 100 are initiallyreceived by a message server 268 of the host system 250. Such messagesmay originate from any number of sources. For instance, a message mayhave been sent by a sender from the computer 262 b within the hostsystem 250, from a different mobile device (not shown) connected to thewireless network 200 or a different wireless network, or from adifferent computing device or other device capable of sending messages,via the shared network infrastructure 224, possibly through anapplication service provider (ASP) or Internet service provider (ISP),for example.

The message server 268 typically acts as the primary interface for theexchange of messages, particularly e-mail messages, within theorganization and over the shared network infrastructure 224. Each userin the organization that has been set up to send and receive messages istypically associated with a user account managed by the message server268. Some exemplary implementations of the message server 268 include aMicrosoft Exchange™ server, a Lotus Domino™ server, a Novell Groupwise™server, or another suitable mail server installed in a corporateenvironment. In some implementations, the host system 250 may includemultiple message servers 268. The message server 268 may also be adaptedto provide additional functions beyond message management, including themanagement of data associated with calendars and task lists, forexample.

When messages are received by the message server 268, they are typicallystored in a data store associated with the message server 268. In someembodiments, the data store may be a separate hardware unit (not shown)that the message server 268 communicates with. Messages can besubsequently retrieved and delivered to users by accessing the messageserver 268. For instance, an e-mail client application operating on auser's computer 262 a may request the e-mail messages associated withthat user's account stored on the data store associated with the messageserver 268. These messages are then retrieved from the data store andstored locally on the computer 262 a. The data store associated with themessage server 268 can store copies of each message that is locallystored on the mobile device 100. Alternatively, the data storeassociated with the message server 268 can store all of the messages forthe user of the mobile device 100 and only a smaller number of messagescan be stored on the mobile device 100 to conserve memory. For instance,the most recent messages (in the past two to three months for example)can be stored on the mobile device 100.

When operating the mobile device 100, the user may wish to have e-mailmessages retrieved for delivery to the mobile device 100. An e-mailclient application operating on the mobile device 100 may also requestmessages associated with the user's account from the message server 268.The e-mail client may be configured (either by the user or by anadministrator, possibly in accordance with an organization's informationtechnology (IT) policy) to make this request at the direction of theuser, at some pre-defined time interval, or upon the occurrence of somepre-defined event. In some implementations, the mobile device 100 isassigned its own e-mail address, and messages addressed specifically tothe mobile device 100 are automatically redirected to the mobile device100 as they are received by the message server 268.

The message management server 272 can be used to specifically providesupport for the management of messages, such as e-mail messages, thatare to be handled by mobile devices. Generally, while messages are stillstored on the message server 268, the message management server 272 canbe used to control when, if, and how messages are sent to the mobiledevice 100. The message management server 272 also facilitates thehandling of messages composed on the mobile device 100, which are sentto the message server 268 for subsequent delivery.

For example, the message management server 272 may monitor the user's“mailbox” (e.g. the message store associated with the user's account onthe message server 268) for new e-mail messages, and applyuser-definable filters to new messages to determine if and how themessages are relayed to the user's mobile device 100. The messagemanagement server 272 may also compress and encrypt new messages (e.g.using an encryption technique such as Data Encryption Standard (DES) orTriple DES) and push them to the mobile device 100 via the sharednetwork infrastructure 224 and the wireless network 200. The messagemanagement server 272 may also receive messages composed on the mobiledevice 100 (e.g. encrypted using Triple DES), decrypt and decompress thecomposed messages, re-format the composed messages if desired so thatthey will appear to have originated from the user's computer 262 a, andre-route the composed messages to the message server 268 for delivery.

Certain properties or restrictions associated with messages that are tobe sent from and/or received by the mobile device 100 can be defined(e.g. by an administrator in accordance with IT policy) and enforced bythe message management server 272. These may include whether the mobiledevice 100 may receive encrypted and/or signed messages, minimumencryption key sizes, whether outgoing messages must be encrypted and/orsigned, and whether copies of all secure messages sent from the mobiledevice 100 are to be sent to a pre-defined copy address, for example.

The message management server 272 may also be adapted to provide othercontrol functions, such as only pushing certain message information orpre-defined portions (e.g. “blocks”) of a message stored on the messageserver 268 to the mobile device 100. For example, in one instance, whena message is initially retrieved by the mobile device 100 from themessage server 268, the message management server 272 may push only thefirst part of a message to the mobile device 100, with the part being ofa pre-defined size (e.g. 2 KB). The user can then request more of themessage, to be delivered in similar-sized blocks by the messagemanagement server 272 to the mobile device 100, possibly up to a maximumpre-defined message size. Accordingly, the message management server 272facilitates better control over the type of data and the amount of datathat is communicated to the mobile device 100, and can help to minimizepotential waste of bandwidth or other resources.

The mobile data server 274 encompasses any other server that storesinformation that is relevant to the corporation. The mobile data server274 may include, but is not limited to, databases, online data documentrepositories, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, orenterprise resource planning (ERP) applications.

The contact server 276 can provide information for a list of contactsfor the user in a similar fashion to the address book 142 on the mobiledevice 100. The contact server 276 can obtain this information from theGlobal Address List (GAL) data store 278. The GAL data store 278 canstore contact information for people or groups within a corporation. TheGAL data store 278 can also include contact information for othercontacts such as people from organizations associated with thecorporation, such as suppliers, clients, etc., as well as contacts thatare commonly accessed. For a given contact, the contact server 276 cangenerally provide the name, phone number, work address and e-mailaddress of the contact, among other information. The contact server 276and the GAL data store 278 are an example of a remote data store thatthe contact lookup module 138 can access during entry or validation of acontact address on the mobile device 100.

In some embodiments, the GAL data store 278 can also include a separatelist of contacts for each user that uses a mobile device associated withthe host system 250. In this fashion, the GAL data store 278 can providea backup of contact lists or the local address books that are stored onthe plurality of mobile devices associated with the host system 250. Insome alternative embodiments, the host system 250 may have a centralizedserver that can access the contact information.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that the messagemanagement server 272, the mobile data server 274 and the contact server276 need not be implemented on separate physical servers within the hostsystem 250. For example, some or all of the functions associated withthe message management server 272 may be integrated with the messageserver 268, or some other server in the host system 250. Furthermore,the host system 250 may comprise multiple message management servers272, particularly in variant implementations where a large number ofmobile devices need to be supported. Furthermore, in some embodiments,the functionality of the contact server 276 may be provided by anotherserver such as the message management server 272 or the message server268. In addition, in some embodiments, the functionality of the contactserver 276 can be provided by another corporate server that can provideadditional functionality. Further, in some embodiments, the contactserver 276 can be provided by a third party. In some cases, the remotefacility can be associated with a website accessible by the Internet. Inany of these cases, the contact server 276 or the third party servicescan be referred to as a remote contact service. Further, any data sentfrom the remote contact service to the mobile device can be referred toas contact data. Contact data can include a confirmation or approvalthat a potentially incorrect contact address has a match in a remotecontact address data store. Contact data can also include a disapprovalthat a potentially incorrect contact address does not have a match in aremote contact address data store. Contact data can also include a listof contact addresses found in a remote contact address data store thatare similar to a potentially incorrect contact address.

When the user of the mobile device 100 composes a message, the user mayenter a contact address by using the local address book 142 that isstored on the mobile device 100. For instance, the contact lookup module138 can provide the user with an option to look up a contact addresswhen the user is adding an address to one of the address fields of themessage. This can be done after the user selects one of the addressfields in order to make an entry. The user can then select a contactaddress from the address book 142 via the contact lookup module 138. Insome cases, the default may be to place the cursor in one of the addressfields and then let the user choose to use the contact lookup module 138to access the address book 142 to enter a contact address. In somecases, the contact lookup module 138 can provide this “local” lookupoption by displaying a dialog window or by interfacing with the messageapplication 136 to provide a selection button in the message windowwithin which the user composes the message. In some embodiments, theuser may enter the first few characters of a contact address in anaddress field and then use a local lookup option provided by the contactlookup module 138 to obtain a list of matching addresses from the localaddress book 142 from which the user can make a selection. In somecases, the contact lookup module 138 can be configured to automaticallyprovide the list of matching contact addresses.

In some embodiments, if no matching addresses are found that correspondto the first few characters that are entered by the user in an addressfield, the user can select a remote lookup option provided by thecontact lookup module 138 to select a contact address from a remote datastore such as the GAL data store 278. If the user chooses the remotelookup option, the contact lookup module 138 can contact the contactserver 276, which then provides the user with the ability to search fora contact address in the GAL data store 278. In some implementations,the contact server 276 can provide the user with a list that the usercan scroll through to locate and select the desired contact address. Insome implementations, the user can enter a few characters via a dialogwindow. The contact lookup module 138 can then provide these charactersto the contact server 276, which then uses the characters to search formatching contact addresses or contact names. The contact server 276 canthen provide the matching contact entries to the contact lookup module138, which then displays the entries to the user. The user can thenscroll through the list of matching contact entries to see if a desiredcontact address is in the list.

In some embodiments, the user is provided with the option of manuallyentering the contact address. In some cases, the user can manually enterthe contact address without searching through the local and remoteaddress stores (i.e. without using the local or remote lookup optionprovided by the contact lookup module 138). In some cases, the user canmanually enter the contact address after the desired contact has notbeen found in the local address store. In some cases, the user canmanually enter the contact address after the desired contact has notbeen found in the remote address store.

After the user has entered the contact addresses for the message, priorto sending the message, the contact lookup module 138 validates thecontact addresses. Validation includes checking the contact addressesfor accuracy and correcting any potentially incorrect contact addresses.FIG. 5 provides a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a messagevalidation window 300 for validating contact addresses in a message. Themessage validation window 300 is one example of a message validationmeans that can be provided by the contact lookup module 138 to verifyand correct potentially incorrect contact addresses.

In some embodiments, the contact lookup module 138 can attempt to verifyeach manually entered contact address in any of the “TO”, “CC” or “BCC”address fields of the message by finding matching contact addresses inthe local address book 142. If all of the manually entered contactaddresses match with a corresponding entry in the address book 142, thenthe e-mail message can be sent by the message application 136.

However, if the contact lookup module 138 cannot find matching contactaddresses in the address book 142 for at least one of the manuallyentered contact addresses, then there is at least one potentiallyincorrect contact address in the one of the address fields of themessage. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the string “XXXX” is an exampleof a potentially incorrect contact address. The contact lookup module138 can then search the address book 142 for contact addresses that aresimilar to the potentially incorrect contact address(es). If similarcontact addresses are found, then the contact lookup module 138 candisplay a list of the similar contact addresses to the user. The usercan then select one of the similar contact addresses if it is thecorrect contact address that the user actually intended to enter in oneof the address fields of the message. For instance, the user may havemisspelled or transposed a few characters when entering a contactaddress thereby generating the potentially incorrect contact address.The selected similar contact address can then be substituted for thepotentially incorrect contact address in the appropriate address fieldin the message.

In some embodiments, if there are still some unresolved potentiallyincorrect contact addresses, the contact lookup module 138 can thenprovide the message validation window 300 to the user. The messagevalidation window 300 is used to notify the user that a contact address(in this case an e-mail address) cannot be validated with the entries inthe local address book 142 and is a potentially incorrect contactaddress. The message validation window 300 includes a dialog message 302and option buttons 304, 306 and 308. The dialog message 302 indicatesthat an entered contact address is unrecognized and can be a potentiallyincorrect contact address. The user is then provided with severaloptions. In this exemplary embodiment, there can be an accept optionbutton 304 in which the user chooses to continue to send the messagethereby accepting that the potentially incorrect contact address isactually correct. There can be a decline option button 306 in which theuser recognizes that the potentially incorrect contact address isactually incorrect and decides not to proceed with sending the message.There can also be a remote lookup option button 308 in which the user isnot sure about the accuracy of the potentially incorrect contact addressand wishes to check the accuracy of the potentially incorrect contactaddress with the contact server 276.

If the user selects the remote lookup option button 308, then thecontact lookup module 138 sends a contact address validation request tothe contact server 276. The contact address validation request includesthe potentially incorrect contact address. The contact server 276 thenchecks the GAL data store 278 to determine if there is a correspondingmatching contact address for the potentially incorrect contact address.If a matching contact address is found in the GAL data store 278, thecontact server 276 sends an approval response to the contact lookupmodule 138. Otherwise, if a matching contact address is not found in theGAL data store 278, the contact server 276 sends a disapproval responseto the contact lookup module 138.

In some embodiments, when a direct matching address cannot be found inthe GAL data store 278 for the potentially incorrect contact address,the contact server 276 can search the GAL data store 278 for contactaddresses that are similar to the potentially incorrect contact address.If similar contact addresses are found, the contact server 276 can senda list of the similar contact addresses to the contact lookup module138. The contact lookup module 138 can then display the list to theuser. The user can then select one of the similar contact addresses ifit is actually the desired contact address. Once again, this can be acase in which the user may have misspelled or transposed a fewcharacters when entering the contact address in one of the addressfields of the message. The selected similar contact address can then besubstituted for the potentially incorrect contact address in theappropriate address field in the message.

The contact lookup module 138 then checks to determine if there areother potentially incorrect contact addresses in the message. If thereare no other potentially incorrect contact addresses, an additionalmessage confirmation screen can be displayed, as is commonly known tothose skilled in the art, to ask the user if the message should be sent.If the user chooses to send the e-mail, then the e-mail message can besent with no further changes.

Messages sent with potentially incorrect contact addresses can generatea message delivery error or a “bounced message” that is returned to thesender if the potentially incorrect contact address is actuallyincorrect. As such, it is generally not recommended for the user to sendan e-mail message in which potentially incorrect contact addresses havenot been validated.

In some embodiments, the contact lookup module 138 can validate allcontact addresses which includes addresses that have been selected fromentries in the local address book 142 and the GAL data store 278 sincesome entries in either the address book 142 and the GAL data store 278may have been improperly entered. The contact lookup module 138 canaccomplish this by determining if the contact addresses have the propersyntax for an acceptable e-mail address, in the case of e-mail messages.For other embodiments in which other types of messages are to be sent,the contact lookup module 138 can check to determine whether the syntaxthat corresponds to the particular type of message has been used for thecontact address.

If the user selects the second choice of not continuing with sending themessage, (i.e., selecting the “No” option button 306), the user can bereturned to the message composition window. At this time, the user canedit or modify the potentially incorrect contact address(es) in any ofthe address fields. After modifying the potentially incorrect contactaddress, in some embodiments, the modified contact address is assumed tobe correct and the remaining contact addresses can then be checked. Insome cases, the modified contact address may be checked to ensure thatthe proper address syntax is used. In some cases, the validation processmay be repeated on the potentially incorrect contact addresses that havebeen corrected or modified. Once all of the potentially incorrectcontact addresses have been modified, and possibly checked andvalidated, a message confirmation screen can appear asking the user toconfirm sending the message.

In some embodiments, the message validation window may contain an editoption (not shown). The user can select the edit option when the userrecognizes that a potentially incorrect contact address is actuallyincorrect. In some cases, when the edit option is selected an editwindow can be displayed which allows the user to edit the potentiallyincorrect contact address rather than having to go back to the messagecomposition window. At this point, it can be assumed that the user hasproperly corrected the potentially incorrect contact address. However,in some implementations, the contact lookup module 138 can check thecontact address to ensure that the proper address syntax has been used.In some implementations, the contact lookup module 138 can also searchat least one of the address book 142 and the GAL data store 278 for amatch for the corrected contact address. In some implementations, thecontact lookup module 138 can query whether the user wishes to check thecorrected contact address with the GAL data store 278 since this canresult in perceptible delay to the user in some cases.

If more than one contact address has been found to be potentiallyincorrect, in some embodiments, the message validation window 300 canappear multiple times, i.e. once for each potentially incorrect contactaddress. In some embodiments, all of the potentially incorrect contactaddresses can be listed within a message validation window. The user canthen go through the potentially incorrect contact addresses one by oneby selecting one of the different options (i.e. accept, decline, edit,and remote lookup).

Referring now to FIG. 6, shown therein is a flow chart diagramillustrating an exemplary embodiment of a contact entry method 400 forentering and validating contact addresses in a message. The method 400begins when the user composes an e-mail message and needs to enter adesired contact address in one of the address fields of the message butis not sure of the exact contact address or does not want to manuallyenter the entire contact address. At step 402, the user uses the locallookup option to search a local contact address data store to enter thedesired contact address. This option can be provided by an input meanson the message composition window, such as an input button, tab, dropdown menu and the like. Alternatively, this local lookup option can beautomatic once the user begins to enter a few characters of the desiredcontact address or a few characters of the name that corresponds to thedesired contact address into one of the address fields of the message.In some cases, the contact lookup module 138 can display a list of thecontact addresses in the local contact address data store that the usercan scroll through. In some cases, the contact lookup module 138 candisplay a list of contact addresses found in the local contact addressdata store that match the characters that have been typed in thus far bythe user.

If the user does not find the desired contact address using the locallookup option, or does not choose to use the local lookup option, themethod 400 moves to step 404 at which point the user can use the remotelookup option to find a desired contact address in a remote contactaddress data store. Once again, this option can be provided by an inputmeans on the message composition window, such as an input button, tab,drop down menu and the like. Alternatively, in some embodiments thisremote lookup option can be automatic if the user does not select any ofthe contact addresses found by the local lookup option. In someimplementations, a connection can be made with a remote contact serverthat provides access to the remote contact address data store and candisplay a list of contact addresses. In some cases, this can be done viaan Internet or other network interface. The contact lookup module 138can create a contact lookup request that is then sent across thewireless network 200 to the contact server 276, or another suitableserver, which interfaces with a remote contact address data store. Insome implementations, if the user enters a few characters of either thedesired contact address or the name of the contact, the remote contactserver can produce a list of matching contact addresses from the remotecontact address data store and send the list to the mobile device 100.The contact lookup module 138 can then display the list to the user.

If the user selects one of the contact addresses via either the locallookup option or the remote lookup option, the method 400 then goes tostep 406 to ensure that the syntax of the selected contact address is inthe proper format for the type of message that the user will be sending.If the syntax is correct, the method 400 moves to step 408 at whichpoint the user can send the message or enter further contact addresses.If the syntax is not correct, the method 400 moves to step 410 at whichpoint the user can choose to edit the selected contact address. If theuser chooses to edit the selected contact address, the method 400 movesto step 412 where the user then edits the contact address or enters analternate contact address and the method 400 then moves to step 408. Ifthe user chooses not to edit the selected contact address, the method400 moves to step 414 and the message is not sent.

If the user chooses not to use the remote lookup option, or if theremote lookup option was not successful, the method 400 moves to step416 at which point the user can manually enter the contact address. Thesyntax of the manually entered contact address is then checked in step418. If the syntax of the manually entered contact address is notcorrect, then the method 400 moves to step 410. Otherwise, the method400 moves to step 420 and the manually entered contact address iscompared to the local contact address store to determine if there is amatching contact address. If there is a matching contact address, themethod 400 moves to step 408.

If there is no matching contact address, then the contact address can bea potentially incorrect contact address. The contact lookup module 138then provides several validation options to the user at step 422. Theuser can reject the potentially incorrect contact address in which casethe method 400 moves to step 414 and the message is not sent.Alternatively, the user can choose to edit the potentially incorrectcontact address and the method moves to step 412. In this case, the userrecognizes that the potentially incorrect contact address is actuallyincorrect, knows the correct contact address and corrects the contactaddress. Alternatively, the user can select the remote lookup option.The results obtained by the remote contact server are viewed in step424. At step 426, if the user selects one of the results, the method 400moves to step 408. Alternatively, if the user does not accept any of theresults at step 426, then the method 400 moves to step 428. At step 428,it is determined whether there are any valid contact addresses in theaddress fields of the message, and if so the method 400 then moves tostep 408. Otherwise, if there are no valid contact addresses in theaddress fields of the message, then the method 400 moves to step 414 andthe message is not sent.

The above-described embodiments are provided for exemplary purposes.Accordingly, there can be similar embodiments that do not include all ofthe features disclosed herein or that have slightly modified features.For instance, rather than there being a GAL data store 278, there may bea list that is customized for particular users, or there may be severalcustomized lists according to the department within which the userworks. There may also be customized lists based on third parties thatthe user, or the department within which the user works, usuallyinteracts with. Other alternatives include an online contact list, auser-defined customized list or an instant messaging list of contacts.Other alternatives are also possible.

The remote lookup aspect of the embodiments described herein providesseveral benefits. For instance, one can assume that the remote contactaddress store is always up to date. Further, usage of the remote contactaddress store frees up memory on the mobile device 100. In addition, thememory components of the mobile device 100 may not be large enough tocontain the entire contact list of larger companies. Further, the use ofthe remote contact address data store minimizes local data entry. Notonly does one get the entire contact entry after typing in just the nameof the contact (or even just a part of the name or part of the contactaddress of the contact), but typing errors which can be expected in thecourse of entering that same information are eliminated. Further, theremote contact address lookup can be performed wirelessly which meansthat the user does not need to be in the office to retrieve contactinformation or contact data.

In one aspect, at least one embodiment described herein provides amethod of contact address entry for messages composed by a user on amobile communication device. The method comprises:

a) allowing the user to enter at least one contact address in an addressfield in the message;

b) checking for at least one potentially incorrect contact address byidentifying at least one manually entered contact address that does nothave a matching entry in a local contact address data store; and,

c) validating the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, step (c) includes allowing the user to check aremote contact address data store for a matching entry for the at leastone potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, step (c) includes allowing the user to manuallycorrect the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, at least one of: step (b) includes providing theuser with a list of similar contact addresses found in the local contactaddress data store compared to the at least one potentially incorrectcontact address, and step (c) includes providing the user with a list ofsimilar contact addresses found in the remote contact address data storecompared to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, step (b) includes checking the at least oneentered contact address for proper syntax.

In at least some cases, step (a) includes contacting a remote contactservice to allow the user to browse a remote contact address store toenter the at least one contact address.

In at least some cases, step (a) includes allowing the user to enter afew characters of one of a desired contact address and a name associatedwith the desired contact address and providing the user with a list ofmatching contact addresses found in the remote contact address datastore.

In at least some cases, step (c) includes providing a validation meansfor allowing the user to either accept the at least one potentiallyincorrect contact address as a correct contact address, correct the atleast one potentially incorrect contact address or remotely lookup acorrect contact address for the at least one potentially incorrectcontact address.

In another aspect, at least one embodiment described herein provides acomputer program product for allowing a user of a mobile device to entercontact addresses when composing a message on the mobile device, thecomputer program product comprising a computer readable medium embodyingprogram code means executable by a processor of the mobile device forimplementing various embodiments of a contact address entry method asspecified above.

In yet another aspect, at least one embodiment described herein providesa mobile communication device comprising a main processor forcontrolling the operation of the mobile communication device; acommunication subsystem connected to the main processor, thecommunication subsystem being adapted for wirelessly sending andreceiving data; a message application that interfaces with thecommunication subsystem to send and receive messages, and to receivecontact data from a remote contact service; a local contact address datastore; and, a contact lookup module for allowing a user to enter atleast one contact address in an address field in a message composedusing the message application, check for at least one potentiallyincorrect contact address by identifying at least one manually enteredcontact address that does not have a matching entry in the local contactaddress data store; and, validate the at least one potentially incorrectcontact address.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module allows the user tocheck a remote contact address data store for a matching entry for theat least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module allows the user tomanually correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, during at least one of checking and validation,the contact lookup module is adapted to provide the user with a list ofsimilar contact addresses found in a contact address data store comparedto the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module checks the enteredcontact addresses for proper syntax.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module is adapted to contacta remote contact service to allow the user to browse a remote contactaddress store to enter the at least one contact address.

In yet another aspect, at least one embodiment described herein providesa system comprising a mobile device including: a main processor forcontrolling the operation of the mobile device; a communicationsubsystem connected to the main processor, the communication subsystembeing adapted for wirelessly sending and receiving data; a messageapplication that interfaces with the communication subsystem to send andreceive messages, and to receive contact data; a local contact addressdata store; and, a contact lookup module for allowing a user to enter atleast one contact address in an address field in a message composed onthe mobile device, check for at least one potentially incorrect contactaddress by identifying at least one manually entered contact addressthat does not have a matching entry in the local contact address datastore; and, validate the at least one potentially incorrect contactaddress. The system further includes a remote contact service forproviding the contact data to the mobile device, the contact dataincluding at least one contact address; and, a wireless network forproviding communication between the mobile device and the remote contactservice.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module allows the user tocheck a remote contact address data store for a matching entry for theat least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module allows the user tomanually correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, during at least one of checking and validation,the contact lookup module is adapted to provide the user with a list ofsimilar contact addresses found in a contact address data store comparedto the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

In at least some cases, the contact lookup module checks the entered atleast one contact address for proper syntax.

In at least some cases, the remote contact service is provided by acontact server associated with one of a corporate enterprise and awebsite.

These and other features of the embodiments provided herein have beendescribed above.

It should be understood that various modifications can be made to theembodiments described and illustrated herein, without departing from theembodiments, the general scope of which is defined in the appendedclaims. It should also be understood that while the embodiments weredescribed for a mobile device, the embodiments are generally applicableto any communication or computing device that allows a user to compose amessage that requires contact addresses for delivery.

1. A method of contact address entry for messages composed by a user ona mobile communication device, wherein the method comprises: a) allowingthe user to enter at least one contact address in an address field inthe message; b) checking for at least one potentially incorrect contactaddress by identifying at least one manually entered contact addressthat does not have a matching entry in a local contact address datastore; and, c) validating the at least one potentially incorrect contactaddress.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes allowingthe user to check a remote contact address data store for a matchingentry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes allowing the user tomanually correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of: step (b) includesproviding the user with a list of similar contact addresses found in thelocal contact address data store compared to the at least onepotentially incorrect contact address, and step (c) includes providingthe user with a list of similar contact addresses found in the remotecontact address data store compared to the at least one potentiallyincorrect contact address.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b)includes checking the at least one entered contact address for propersyntax.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) includes contacting aremote contact service to allow the user to browse a remote contactaddress store to enter the at least one contact address.
 7. The methodof claim 6, wherein step (a) includes allowing the user to enter a fewcharacters of one of a desired contact address and a name associatedwith the desired contact address and providing the user with a list ofmatching contact addresses found in the remote contact address datastore.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes providing avalidation means for allowing the user to either accept the at least onepotentially incorrect contact address as a correct contact address,correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address orremotely lookup a correct contact address for the at least onepotentially incorrect contact address.
 9. A computer program product forallowing a user of a mobile device to enter contact addresses whencomposing a message on the mobile device, the computer program productcomprising a computer readable medium embodying program code meansexecutable by a processor of the mobile device for implementing acontact address entry method as specified in claim
 1. 10. A mobilecommunication device comprising: a) a main processor for controlling theoperation of the mobile communication device; b) a communicationsubsystem connected to the main processor, the communication subsystembeing adapted for wirelessly sending and receiving data; c) a messageapplication that interfaces with the communication subsystem to send andreceive messages, and to receive contact data from a remote contactservice; d) a local contact address data store; and, e) a contact lookupmodule for allowing a user to enter at least one contact address in anaddress field in a message composed using the message application, checkfor at least one potentially incorrect contact address by identifying atleast one manually entered contact address that does not have a matchingentry in the local contact address data store; and, validate the atleast one potentially incorrect contact address.
 11. The mobilecommunication device of claim 10, wherein the contact lookup moduleallows the user to check a remote contact address data store for amatching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contactaddress.
 12. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein thecontact lookup module allows the user to manually correct the at leastone potentially incorrect contact address.
 13. The mobile communicationdevice of claim 12, wherein during at least one of checking andvalidation, the contact lookup module is adapted to provide the userwith a list of similar contact addresses found in a contact address datastore compared to the at least one potentially incorrect contactaddress.
 14. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein thecontact lookup module checks the entered contact addresses for propersyntax.
 15. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein thecontact lookup module is adapted to contact a remote contact service toallow the user to browse a remote contact address store to enter the atleast one contact address.
 16. A system comprising: a) a mobile deviceincluding: i) a main processor for controlling the operation of themobile device; ii) a communication subsystem connected to the mainprocessor, the communication subsystem being adapted for wirelesslysending and receiving data; iii) a message application that interfaceswith the communication subsystem to send and receive messages, and toreceive contact data; iv) a local contact address data store; and, v) acontact lookup module for allowing a user to enter at least one contactaddress in an address field in a message composed on the mobile device,check for at least one potentially incorrect contact address byidentifying at least one manually entered contact address that does nothave a matching entry in the local contact address data store; and,validate the at least one potentially incorrect contact address; b) aremote contact service for providing the contact data to the mobiledevice, the contact data including at least one contact address; and, c)a wireless network for providing communication between the mobile deviceand the remote contact service.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein thecontact lookup module allows the user to check a remote contact addressdata store for a matching entry for the at least one potentiallyincorrect contact address.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein thecontact lookup module allows the user to manually correct the at leastone potentially incorrect contact address.
 19. The system of claim 18,wherein during at least one of checking and validation, the contactlookup module is adapted to provide the user with a list of similarcontact addresses found in a contact address data store compared to theat least one potentially incorrect contact address.
 20. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the contact lookup module checks the entered at leastone contact address for proper syntax.
 21. The system of claim 16,wherein the remote contact service is provided by a contact serverassociated with one of a corporate enterprise and a website.